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Supporting Future Generations of Agriculturalists

Dad and daughter walk through a greenhouse hand in hand.

Ensuring a vibrant agricultural workforce whose leaders are ready to tackle future challenges is critical to Colorado's resilient food and farming system. CDA's investment in programs that help aspiring ag producers or those in the many fields related to agriculture, such as food science, veterinary science, agronomy, engineering, logistics, and more. Through initiatives such as the Ag Workforce Development Program, we help fund intern positions at ag businesses interested in training a new set of hands in their daily work. Meanwhile, the NextGen Ag Leadership Program provides grants to organizations and institutions providing leadership training and development in various agriculture-related fields.

Many financial barriers can hinder people from pursuing a career in agriculture. CDA is working to help young and beginner farmers who may not qualify for traditional loans through the Colorado Agricultural Future Loan Program. For those following in their families' footsteps, the Family Farm Transition program helps generations of families plan for passing on their land and business in a fair and structured way, while our brand new Ag Worker Services program is reaching out directly to ag worker communities to provide resources and technical assistance.